WordNest

German banking words: 25 words for accounts, transfers and bills

🇩🇪 GermanB125 words

Opening a Girokonto, paying rent by Dauerauftrag and checking a Lastschrift all have their own vocabulary. This list covers banks, cards, cash, transfers and household bills, with examples from everyday money matters in Germany.

Where you will use it: Bank accounts, cards, transfers and bills in Germany.

German words for banking and money — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

GermanMeaning and example
das Girokontothe current account“Das Girokonto ist für Studenten kostenlos.”The current account is free for students.
ein Konto eröffnento open an account“Online kann man in zehn Minuten ein Konto eröffnen.”You can open an account online in ten minutes.
die IBANthe IBAN (account number)“Schicken Sie mir bitte Ihre IBAN.”Please send me your IBAN.
die Überweisungthe bank transfer“Die Überweisung dauert ein bis zwei Tage.”The transfer takes one to two days.
überweisento transfer (money)“Ich überweise dir das Geld heute Abend.”I'll transfer you the money tonight.
der Dauerauftragthe standing order“Die Miete zahle ich per Dauerauftrag.”I pay the rent by standing order.
die Lastschriftthe direct debit“Der Strom wird per Lastschrift bezahlt.”The electricity is paid by direct debit.
abbuchento debit“Die Versicherung bucht den Beitrag monatlich ab.”The insurance company debits the premium monthly.
der Kontoauszugthe bank statement“Auf dem Kontoauszug sehe ich alle Zahlungen.”I can see all the payments on the bank statement.
die Girocardthe debit card“Mit der Girocard kann man fast überall bezahlen.”You can pay almost everywhere with the debit card.
die Kreditkartethe credit card“Nimmt das Restaurant Kreditkarten?”Does the restaurant take credit cards?
das Bargeldthe cash“In kleinen Cafés braucht man oft Bargeld.”In small cafés you often need cash.
bar zahlento pay in cash“Kann ich auch bar zahlen?”Can I pay in cash too?
der Geldautomatthe cash machine“Wo ist der nächste Geldautomat?”Where's the nearest cash machine?
Geld abhebento withdraw money“Ich muss noch Geld abheben.”I still need to withdraw some money.
die PINthe PIN“Bitte geben Sie Ihre PIN ein.”Please enter your PIN.
die Gebührthe fee“Für die Karte zahle ich keine Gebühr.”I don't pay a fee for the card.
das Online-Bankingonline banking“Ich erledige alles per Online-Banking.”I do everything via online banking.
sparento save (money)“Wir sparen für eine größere Wohnung.”We're saving for a bigger flat.
der Kreditthe loan“Für das Auto haben wir einen Kredit aufgenommen.”We took out a loan for the car.
der Betragthe amount“Bitte überweisen Sie den Betrag bis Freitag.”Please transfer the amount by Friday.
die Haftpflichtversicherungthe personal liability insurance“Eine Haftpflichtversicherung ist in Deutschland sehr üblich.”Personal liability insurance is very common in Germany.
der Belegthe receipt; proof of payment“Heben Sie den Beleg für die Steuer auf.”Keep the receipt for your taxes.
das Geldthe money“Ich habe kein Geld dabei.”I don't have any money on me.
die Zinsenthe interest“Auf dem Sparkonto gibt es kaum Zinsen.”There's hardly any interest on the savings account.

Tips for learning German words

  • Learn der, die or das with every nounThe article is part of the word: der Zug, die Fahrkarte, das Gleis. It decides the case endings and adjectives, so learn it from day one.
  • Type the umlauts and ßWrite ä, ö, ü and ß, not a, o, u or ss: schon means "already" but schön means "beautiful". Getting them right in WordNest trains your spelling.
  • Watch the verb positionIn a German main clause the verb comes second, and separable verbs split: "Ich rufe dich morgen an." Read each example aloud to feel the word order.

Standard German as used in Germany

German is spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a few everyday words differ between them: a tomato is a Tomate in Germany and a Paradeiser in Austria, a bicycle is a Fahrrad rather than a Velo. These lists follow Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany, and WordNest's examples, audio and AI corrections use the same standard. You will be understood in every German-speaking country.

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

German word lists →

Questions about this list

Is this German from Germany, Austria or Switzerland?

Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany. Where Austria or Switzerland usually use a different word, the list gives the one used in Germany, but every word is understood across the German-speaking world.

How do I practise German words for banking and money?

Start with five words, listen and say each example aloud. Then recall the German word, with its article, from its English meaning and review it over several days.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 words and phrases with English meanings and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete course.

Study these words with spaced repetition

Create a free account, choose German as a study language and add these words to your own deck.

More German word lists